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Monitoring the impact of introduced emerald ash borer parasitoids: factors affecting Oobius agrili dispersal and parasitization of sentinel host eggs

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Abstract

Emerald ash borer (EAB) Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) is an invasive, wood-boring pest of North American ash trees (Fraxinus spp.). Oobius agrili Zhang and Huang (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), a solitary egg parasitoid, was one of the several parasitoids introduced from the pest’s native Northeast Asian range to the USA for EAB classical biocontrol. Since its introduction, this agent has been released over 31 states against EAB, yet determination of the spread and impact of this parasitoid has proved difficult partly because of its small size and cryptic host eggs. The present study examines the dispersal distance and parasitism of O. agrili shortly after release, as well as the impact of host’s food plants (trees), where the host eggs were deployed. Sentinel EAB eggs were deployed on pairs of green ash (Fraxinus pensylvanica) and white fringe (Chionanthus virginicus) trees in circles around the release point up to 45 m away. After 48 or 120 h, the eggs were retrieved and examined for parasitism. There was no significant difference in observed parasitism by distance or tree species. However, significantly more EAB eggs were parasitized in the longer deployment compared to the shorter deployment. These findings suggest that sentinel EAB eggs may be deployed on ash or white fringe trees to effectively monitor the establishment and spread of O. agrili. Future studies using sentinel host eggs in natural ash stands may yield further insights into the spread rate of O. agrili post-release and its effectiveness in suppressing the targeted pest populations over time.

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Acknowledgements

ARS agreement # 59-8010-0-003 funded by the Farm Bill Program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Beneficial Insects Introduction Research Unit, USDA ARS, 501 South Chapel St., Newark, DE, 19713, USA

    Nicole F. Quinn & Jian J. Duan

  2. Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 160 Holdsworth Way, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA

    Nicole F. Quinn & Joseph Elkinton

Authors
  1. Nicole F. Quinn
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  2. Jian J. Duan
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  3. Joseph Elkinton
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Contributions

Project conception and coordination: Jian Duan (USDA-ARS) and Nicole Quinn (USDA-ARS and University of Massachusetts). Data collection: Nicole Quinn, Becca Robertson, Jon Schmude, Adam Scherr, Destiny Brumbaugh, Jess Faucher, Joseph Kovach, Sherri Jackson, Kelsey Miles. Original manuscript preparation: Nicole Quinn. Manuscript review: Jian Duan and Joe Elkinton (University of Massachusetts).

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Correspondence to Nicole F. Quinn.

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The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial competing interests to disclose.

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The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial competing interests to disclose. This work was done in compliance with all BioControl ethical standards.

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Handling Editor: Stefano Colazza.

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Quinn, N.F., Duan, J.J. & Elkinton, J. Monitoring the impact of introduced emerald ash borer parasitoids: factors affecting Oobius agrili dispersal and parasitization of sentinel host eggs. BioControl 67, 387–394 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-022-10149-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-022-10149-3

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